Fly swatter



23, 1940. CUMNHNGS 2,209,260

FLY SWAT TER Original Filed July 17, 1933 5 f', 1 E0 0 :0 0 0 0 0 o o 2 0 0 0 0 2 :0 o o o o Patented July 23, 1940 v UNITED STATES FLY SWATTER George K. Cummings, deceased, late of Bay Head,

Fla., by Robert Brown Cummings, administrator, Washington, D. C.

Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

680,862, July 17, 1933.

2, 1939, Serial No. 297,606

1 Claim.

This invention relates to insect destroyers, and particularly to devices thereunder known as fly swatters, and was the subject of an application filed by the inventor, George-K. Cummings, on July 17, 1933, Serial No. 680,862. The instant application is refiled for the above identified application which is now abandoned.

It is an object of this invention to produce a fly swatter the body or blade of which will not mar or scratch furniture and which will have advantages in points of efficiency and durability, while at the same time it is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the invention to pro: duce a blade the material of which is nonmetallic. Metallic blades of known construction are formed of wire mesh which has to be bound at the edges to prevent fraying and distortion of the blade and, in instances where the edges are bound, the ends of the wires in time pro- I trude and cause damage to the finish of furniture and fabric.

By the employment of a blade of the invention, the foregoing objections are overcome and the blade will retain its shape and efliciency after very long and rough usage.

It is an object furthermore of this invention to provide a blade comprising superimposed layers of material between which an air cushioning space is formed, the area of the space being dependent upon the relation of the superimposed layers to each other, and the invention furthermore in one of its embodiments includes a reinforcement of the material of which the blade is formed, and another embodiment thereof provides a reinforcing insert or a plurality of such inserts between the superimposed layers of the blade; and furthermore, the blade has means by which it may be attached to a handle.

Aside from the cushioning effect to which reference has been made, a blade embodying the invention is restrained from bending beyond the angle of fibre fracture and this also prolongs the durability of the blade.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a blade which is formed of dense fibrous material of the character of the so-called kraft paper, or sheet material of fibrous derivative such as Cellophane, as distinguished from a woven fibrous material.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

This application October In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing form ing part'of this-application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which I a Figure]. illustrates a plan view showing one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional view of the blade on the line 22 of Figure and Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view of a fragment of the swatter showing the manner in which air is trapped between the inturned portions and the body of the swatter.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, Figure 1, the blade is formed by employing a length of fibrous material, to which reference has been made, which is doubled on itself at the outer end 10, the superimposed layers-H and I2 being provided with coinciding or registering apertures l3 and 14, respectively. In this embodiment of the invention, the material isfolded along the longitudinal marginal edges and secured to the blade only at said marginal edges, as shown at l5 and I6, and'when the surfaces of these inwardly folded portions are in contact, the space I! between the superimposed layers is larger than it would be if the inwardly folded edges were omitted. By reason of these inward folds, air pockets A are formed between the inwardly folded portions and the main portion of the blade which are accentuated as the blade is flexed in swatting and the air cushion between the layers of the blade is increased so that after contact of the advancing layer of the blade with furniture or the surface being struck, the superimposed layer has what might be termed a following stroke which is almost imperceptible in time. Furthermore, the air pockets restrict the escape of air at the edges of the blade producing a cushioning effect and cause the air to follow through the apertures so that insects are displaced if they should happen to lodge in the apertures. The said marginal folds also add strength and durability to the blade and may be wider than illustrated. 1

A blade of the character indicated would have the configuration as outlined in Figure l and when the material is folded upon itself, the overlying portions of the strip of material at the free ends are folded over the blade, as shown at l8 and Hi to embrace the extensions, such as 20, of the handle 2| which is shown as comprising a length of wire bent on itself so that the diverging portions such as 20 are anchored to the blade. In the present illustration Figure 1 an apron or spect to these details, in fact, .the joints may be efiected by adhesives, cement or the like, as those skilled in the art will understand.

Reference has been made to the material em ployed for forming the blade and as maybe in= 'ferred, 'it is preferable to use relatively dense" l5- fibrous material which will not easily bend be yond the critical breaking point, but theinven tion is not to be limited with respect to the-particular type of material entering into the 0011-" struction, although the products'of wood pulp such as the so-called kraft paper heretofore mentioned is admirably suited for the purpose. It will therefore be understood that by the employment of the term relatively dense fibrous material'it is intended to comprehend such suitable products.

The form of handle, of course,-may be chan ed to suit particular requirementsand, as a matter of fact, the handle may comprise a strip of material secured to the blade by fastenings.

It has been explained that the blade is to be made by using sheets of fibrous material or material of fibrous derivative and hence where the term fibrous material 'isemployed, it is to be construed Within the definition appearing in the N specification.

I claim:

- A- fly swatter having a blade comprising a sheet of relatively dense fibrous material doubled "on itself longitudinally and having apertures therein, the doubled portions having inwardly turned margins secured to the blade only where :the blade and margins are integral, said margins and the portions of the blade corresponding to the margins being unperforated and the margins ,b'eing displaceable from the blade and forming Y cushioning pockets restricting the passage of air laterally of the blade and forcing said air through the apertures of the blade upon impact of the blade in swatting. j v I, r v i 1 ROBERT BROWN CUMMINGS, Administrator of the Estate of George K. Cummings, Deceased.

v v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent N 2,209,260. July 2;, 191m.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was "erroneously issued to "Robert Brown Cummings, as Administrator of George K.. Cummings, deceased" whereas said patent should have been issued to -Robert 'Brown Cummings, of Washington, D. C.-, as assignee of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the record of assignments in this office, and that the said Letters- Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day 61" October, A. D.- 19L 0;

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

